On the campus of the University of Mississippi this week, pro-Palestinian demonstrations were overtaken by counter-protesters. A video of a large crowd of white male students taunting a Black female student went viral. One young man in the crowd appeared to make monkey noises and gestures at the woman.
U.S. Representative Mike Collins (R-GA) shared the video and captioned it: “Ole Miss taking care of business.”
Former Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele (who is Black) slammed Collins for condoning the behavior on display in the video and for using his platform to amplify and praise that behavior. Steele characterized Collins’s move as an “abject failure” of leadership unworthy of his position in Congress.
Steele wrote to Collins: “This is not ‘taking care of business’; and if you think it is, exactly what is the business you are referring to? Your casual approval of racist behavior and the need you seemingly feel to brag about it is an abject failure of your leadership as a member of the United States Congress and not a proud moment for you or Ole Miss.”
I’ll give you one thing, you certainly are an authority on failed leadership, having ruined the credit of the party with debt before being forced out disgracefully. But your grift shilling as a “Republican” seems to be paying off on MSNBC. All you do is repeat leftist talking…
— Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) May 4, 2024
In responding, Collins did not address the racist behavior in the video and instead attacked Steele personally. Collins wrote: “I’ll give you one thing, you certainly are an authority on failed leadership, having ruined the credit of the party with debt before being forced out disgracefully. But your grift shilling as a ‘Republican’ seems to be paying off on MSNBC. All you do is repeat leftist talking points.”
Note: University of Mississippi Chancellor Glenn Boyce said the school was aware that “some statements made were offensive, hurtful, and unacceptable, including actions that conveyed hostility and racist overtones,” and has started an investigation.